Joyce Orlob Evans, age 100, passed away January 27, 2024, of natural causes.
She was born September 26, 1923 in Salt Lake City, the daughter of Rudolph and Gladys Orlob. She attended Rowland Hall, East High School, and the University of Utah, where she was affiliated with Pi Beta Phi Sorority. She worked for Miller-Ellison’s, Makoff’s, the Federal Reserve Bank, Industrial Supply Co., Western Airlines, and as assistant society editor for the Deseret News.
She married Sears Joseph Evans of Ogden in the Salt Lake LDS Temple November 30, 1944. Sears, a prominent Salt Lake dentist died in 1984.
Joyce was always a positive force in her community. In 1954, she served as vice-chairman of the Salt Lake County Polio Board, heading the annual Polio Ball and volunteer program for administering the Salk Vaccine. As a member of the Junior League, Joyce was a script writer, producer and director for their educational puppet shows and children’s programs.
A patron of the arts, Mrs. Evans was a member of the American Society of Composers, authors and publishers and won ASCAP awards for compiling the American Bicentennial activity booklet and for the BYU movie “Pioneers in Petticoats”. Two of her original Christmas songs were published in the December, 1973 issue of the Ensign magazine. She sang with the Oratorio society of Utah for 49 years, and the Utah Symphony Chorus for 14 years. She co-authored the program notes for the All-Women’s Legacy Concert held in Symphony Hall and wrote the script for the Pioneer Memorial Theater Gala. She taught creative writing at Ensign School.
In 1962, Mrs. Evans was called to serve on the Young Women’s General Board of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She traveled in the U.S. and abroad, training youth leaders, and wrote many movies, plays, lesson manuals, and music for the LDS Church. She co-authored “Century of Sisterhood”, a history of the Young Women Organization from its founding in 1869 to 1969.
In 1976, she received the Rowland Hall Distinguished Alumni Award, and an honorary medallion from Governor Calvin Rampton for serving on his Utah Statehood committee.
Mrs. Evans was a member of several social and cultural groups, including the Utah Symphony Guild, Junior League, Agalia Mu, Classics Club, Friendship Circle, Darling Girls, Dinner Set, and Brigham Young Granddaughters’ Association.
She was one of the owners and board members of Industrial Supply Company and served as chairman of the Employees’ Benefits Committee.
Among her other interests were community volunteer work, tennis, skiing, public speaking, and entertaining friends with her original comic skits. “I hope I’ve made more people laugh than cry.”
Mrs. Evans is survived by five children: Christine (Vern) Morris, Roosevelt, Utah; Dr. Timothy Sears (Melissa) Evans, Oakley, Utah; Richard Joseph Evans; Randall Young (Teri) Evans, Bountiful, Utah; Anne (Ira) Burgess, Riverton, Utah; sixteen grandchildren and thirty great grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held Thursday, February 1, 2024 at 12:00 PM at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah. A visitation will be held prior to the services at 10:30 AM.
Interment at Salt Lake City Cemetery
You can view the recorded service by clicking the Watch Service button above.
The family would like to thank the Beehive Home of Riverton for taking such exceptional care of Joyce in her last 1 ½ years of her life. Special thanks to Nelsa for going above and beyond in her caring for our mother. Also, Katie from Canyons Hospice Team, Thank you.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the National MS Society and the Epilepsy Foundation.
https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate
https://www.epilepsy.com/give
I sincerely send my deepest and most thoughful condolences for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with your family. Joyces was truly a remarkable woman.
I’m so grateful to have know. Aunt Joyce. I have such good memories of visiting her and being around her. She had such a fun way about her and always had a smile and a hug for me. Her impact on our family because of her and Sear’s love of my dad is a gift that we treasure.
Sincere condolences.
May the Comforter surround your family and bring you peace.
We love you!
Our sweet (Aunt) Doitz has been lifted into heaven to see her darling husband, Sears! She will be missed so much, but I know she has wanted this for so long and am so blessed to have been graced with her for so long!
I extend my heartfelt condolences and sympathy at this time.
I was Joyce’s Mailman for many years. I first met her when she left me some Werther’s Originals candy at the mailbox. I left her a thank you note. The next day she introduced herself and expressed her joy that I had thanked her for the treats.
We became great friends. It was my favorite part of my day to see her. I would see her almost daily for nearly 10 years. She is amazing and has done so much good in this world. I am blessed to have known her and a better person for.
Deepest condolences. She was such an accomplished woman and had a full life.
My favorite memory of her is leading the costume parade at halloween around the ISC premises.
Joyce, thank you for the short time I knew you and you became the lady I want to be when I grow up. And your favorite song is now one of mine. In the circus I love the bear on the ball with a parasol. I know you are in Heaven with the man you love and your parents. Enjoy your reunion. Love you very much. Susan 💕
What a wonderful and accomplished lady. I only knew her thru my sales calls to Industrial Supply. She would
always great me with a smile and ask how I was doing.
My sincere condolences to her family.
William Hendren
Randy, I’m sorry for your loss. I know what a good man you are and it seems it was inherited. Our prayers are with you and your family.
Mike Giles
Our loss is heaven's game. Joyce finally gets her reward by being back with Uncle Sears, her relatives who are there., and her many friends.
Aunt Dodo taught me how to tie my shoes when I was a little kid. I have a great many memories of all the good things that she has done in my life.
Thank you Aunt Joyce for being there for us all. Enjoy your reward through the merits of the Holy Messiah.
I am SO sorry for your loss but so happy for this amazing woman! I just found out about her passing and am so sad that I missed her funeral. I would have been there for sure. On behalf of myself and the Brigham Young Granddaughters Association please accept our belated sympathies! She was an important part of the Granddaughters, and I personally will miss her smiling face and the joy I felt that she always knew who I was among so many. What a wonderful legacy she has left for ALL of us! Love to you all! Kari
I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know Joyce. If I ran into her at a funeral or a luncheon or at Bills Market, I always got a hug, a kiss on my cheek and a loving curious conversation. My parents (Dean and Kelly Williams) adored Sears and Joyce and my dad especially shared a love of music with Joyce. I am so sad I didn’t see this until after the funeral. I would love to have been there to remember this sweet sweet friend! How lucky you all were to have had her as your mom!!!